After a year, what do we know about COVID cases in York, Lancaster, Chester counties?
Nearly a year after the pandemic hit South Carolina, York, Lancaster and Chester counties are reporting “high incidence” rates, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control metric.
The rate includes the number of new cases reported in the past two weeks per 100,000 people. York County, which has a population of about 280,000 people, has had 537.8 cases per 100,000 people.
As of Sunday, the county, which reported its first case in mid-March, has had 24,484 probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases — 1,511 of which have been in the last two weeks, according to DHEC data.
DHEC defines a probable case as someone who has had a positive antigen test or has virus symptoms and is at high risk for infection.
Lancaster County, which has a population of about 98,000, has had 600.9 cases per 100,000 people in recent weeks. The county, which reported one of the first cases in the state, has had 8,810 probable and confirmed coronavirus cases, according to DHEC. In the last two weeks, the county has reported 589 cases.
Chester County has had 428 cases per 100,000 people in recent weeks. The county, which has a population of about 33,000, has totaled 3,452 confirmed and probable cases — about 10% of its population. The county has reported 138 in the last two weeks.
South Carolina reported 2,735 new confirmed cases Sunday. Nearly 11% of the 38,842 tests reported that day came back positive, according to DHEC.
DHEC calculates the positivity rate by taking the total number of positive viral tests and dividing it by the total number of tests taken.
How many coronavirus-related deaths have there been?
Since last March, York County has reported 293 confirmed and probable deaths associated with coronavirus, according to DHEC.
Based on DHEC’s definition, probable deaths are those where the death certificate lists COVID-19 as the cause of or a contributing factor to death, but the person was not tested for the virus.
Lancaster County has had 126 confirmed and probable deaths. Chester County has had 60 confirmed and probable deaths.
South Carolina has reported a cumulative total of 487,293 probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases and 7,998 probable and confirmed deaths since the start of the pandemic.
How are hospitals being impacted?
COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to drop.
Sunday, DHEC reported that 1,269 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, 49% lower than its peak of 2,466 last month.
Of the 211 occupied hospital beds in York County, 44 of them are filled with COVID-19 patients, according to DHEC. Since March, 3% of the county’s reported cases have been hospitalized.
In Lancaster County, 12 of the county’s 74 occupied beds are filled with COVID-19 patients. Since March, 4% of the county’s reported cases have been hospitalized.
Of Chester County’s six filled beds, one is occupied by a COVID-19 patient. Since March, 5% of the county’s total cases have been hospitalized.
Where to get the vaccine?
As of Sunday, South Carolina had received 532,350 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine and 438,200 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, according to DHEC.
So far, 351,510 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 141,394 first doses of the Moderna vaccine had been administered, DHEC reported. Additionally, 114,248 second doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 36,132 second doses of the Moderna vaccine have been administered.
Moderna shots had been used to vaccinate long-term care facility residents and staff as part of a federal pharmacy partnership. Administrations of the Moderna vaccine is expected to increase in the coming weeks as doses have been sent to pharmacies, federally qualified health centers and other providers, officials said.
At this time, health care workers, long-term care facility residents and staff, and those age 65 and older regardless of health status are eligible to receive the vaccine.
Anyone eligible to receive the vaccine can use DHEC’s online locator to find a nearby provider at www.scdhec.gov/vaxlocator. South Carolinians, particularly those who lack internet access, also can call DHEC’s vaccine information line — 866-365-8110 — for details on how to schedule an appointment with nearby providers.
This story was originally published February 15, 2021 at 8:34 AM.
